DoingTheCaveman

Overdue roundup and BIG babies

This morning I woke to the news that my cousin's 15 year old son broke his back on Monday after falling 35 foot from a tree.  It was her birthday and while I a Facebooked her birthday wishes they would have been having a terrible day.  Anyway thank goodness it looks as if he's going to be OK although will have to wear a brace for a while, one lucky boy! 

On the weight front, it occurs to me that I haven't for done a monthly weigh in for a while.  You I go into avoidance mode when I've strayed. Isn't this a lesson I should have learned by now... the one time you need to keep a closer eye on your weight youI instead start wearing comfortable  elasticated trackies weighing yourself myself 2 years later to find you're I'm 5 stone heavier than you I thought.  Today I weighed in today at 87 kilos (191.8 lb). 

It could have been worse.  

I've been re-motivated -- It was put to me, as my diet recently slipped to the wayside, that perhaps I should start eating 'normally' again.  That I was possibly consuming more calories whilst still doing the paleo thing, but at the same time as going off the paleo rails.  How horrifying was that! 

Not horrifying because of the increased calories but in terms of perceptions of what is a 'normal' healthy diet.   I think it is the fact that I managed to keep to paleo at some level, despite the few slip ups, was the saving grace and meant it's been easier for me to return to my WOE.   I  didn't completely rip out the roots of the lifestyle change that I've been so carefully nurturing.  It's probably because my underlying diet has remained balanced that my weight hasn't increased horrifically over the last few weeks. At the end of the day, I don't want to return to the lifestyle that made me fat in the first place, caused me to overeat and develop unhealthy cravings.  It makes me feel good when I eat something I know to be nutritious and lowers my mood when I eat dead food.  

Now to change the subject away from myself,  I have to mention this programme I ended up watching this week about big babies. I'm sorry I'm afraid it's now going to turn this respectably short post into a whopper.

I was misled, I thought it was going to be a light programme about bonnie babies, but instead turned out to be a fascinating and worrying documentary about the increasing numbers of big babies currently being born, and the relationship of this phenomena with obesity and junk food.  Now we really are talking BIG babies here!!  Babies over 12 lb (although in the UK they're classified big at > 9 lb).  The largest baby was from Russia at 17 lb and the largest baby in Britain was 15.8 lb.  Disturbingly the documentary discussed how increasing numbers of big babies are suffering broken limbs, collar bones, neck injuries and even fatality, whilst their mothers are also at high risk of mortality.  From the programme 50% who die from childbirth do so because of obesity.  Historically they said that having a big baby used to indicate health but these days 'signals a problem in society'; large babies tend to stay large, also become junk food addicted and, as we know, the weight problem tend to stay with them into adulthood.  One surgeon speaking on the programme said that undiagnosed diabetic women are 4 more times more likely to have a stillbirth!

Several years ago I used to work as a PA to a Consultant Endocrinologist (conincidentaly around the same time as I found myself also to be suffering endocrine problems), and I was intrigued by the fact that he dictated a noteable factor in a patient's history being about big babies (macrosomia).  Noting whether the patient had been a big baby, or indeed had produced one or more big babies.  Now I'd always equated the notion of having a larger baby with health and eventually curious I asked Dr M what a history of having big babies had to do with diabetes:

Simply, if you have a sugar disturbance or eat a diet weighted in junk food.  Note you don't need to be diabetic, then that glucose is going to be passed onto the developing baby, the babies are certainly going to get bigger and may possibly even be a contributory factor as to whether they  develop diabetes in the future. 

It's of consequence to me because my mother has told me in the past that when she was expecting me she had a craving for ice-cream, whereas for my sister she had a craving for oranges.  You get the gist of my problems but my sister on the other hand has always been slender with curves in the right places. I wonder?

The following day looking for the link to the programme I googled it and found forum discussions about the programme.  Mainly it was by women who had found had been offended by he notion that because their baby had been large it implied they had an obesity/junk food problem.  I don't understand why offense should be taken, it's afterall simply a clinical sign of a possible problem and surely you'd want to know if you or your child were at risk of developing diabetes. 

*contemplating* Perhaps in reality even though they believed they were eating a healthy balanced diet as prescribed, from a paleo diet perspective it could be argued that the so called balanced modern diet, inclusive of grains and dairy, is only balanced in terms of the prescribed food triangle but not a realistic 'natural' diet.  Hence the diabetes.  

Anyway to close, having a big baby isn't necessary a sign of good health and can be quite a strong indicator of a potential problem.   Since I was probably one of the few people in the UK to be watching it (the rest of the country watching the final of The Apprentice) I thought that I'd mention this in by blog since it could be of interest to anyone considering starting a family who might be unaware of this.  We're led to believe that gestational diabetes is something that affects the occasional woman indiscrimately during pregnancy.  This unfortunately would not appear to be the case and you are more likely to suffer gestational diabetes if you have a bad diet.  Indeed, anyone who's considering planning a family surely wants them to have the best start in life and this knowledge could be a useful motivational diet tool.

Bariatric surgery could be good for type II diabetics - not for me

Interesting, diabetes could be cured by bariatric surgery

Just a quickie, my thoughts on the above article.

I intended to post one day about bariatric surgery.  I did consider it briefly but eventually decided it wasn't for me. 

In relation to a potential diabetic cure personally I think that changing part of the anatomy in order to affect the sugar absoption issues, like pill popping, isn't addressing the underlying issue -- how the excess sugar got there in the first place. 

Note also that as the article says the gastric band doesn't cure diabetes it's the weight-loss that does that.

Clinical studies have shown that procedures that simply restrict the stomach's size (i.e., gastric banding) improve diabetes only by inducing massive weight loss.

Personally, when it I did toy with the idea of this surgery I decided that since it's basically about inducing someone to eat less I should be able to do this myself without having to take that incredibly brave decision to turn to irreversible surgery. 

It's interesting to see that surgery could in the future be offered to diabetics, although I hope that something so invasive wouldn't be dished out too hastily.   

I do recognise that surgery has to be done as a last resort but personally I've always hankered after a retreat from daily living  - a desert island or isolating experience with no phones, no shops.  Wouldn't this could have the same effect be far more enjoyable than painful surgery.

The happy dance

First off... your missing inch AND recent diabetes related good news are both really, really big developments. No need to downplay them, dear... I say well done, you! Even if you won't, I'm jumping up and down on your behalf!

Thanks Jennifer for this comment.  I'm not, really I'm not - I have been doing that 'happy dance' all weekend.

See...

***Doing the happy dance****Doing the happy dance***Doing the happy dance***

This entry is dedicated to anyone whose weight has triggered a serious health problem.  Mine, diabetes is a progressive disease, but these changing results are testament to the fact that you should never write yourself off.  It should never be too late. 

My own weight gain is probably only half as bad as for some, but I guess because underneath I'm quite petite, my body was overwhelmed and the health problems had begun to stack up.

(i) PCOS, (ii) several really bad episodes of cholecystitis and a couple of hospitalizations (leading to cholecystectomy (gall bladder removal)). I was fair and fat but certainly not 40. I was 26 at the time. (iii) diabetes, (iv) hypertension, (v) finally totally deranged liver function tests.

As I said before all that was left was the stroke or heart attack. Apart from that, it wasn't the greatest or most dignified experience being an in-patient with a ward of confused OAPs.

I have to say not only was it the threat of insulin, but those LFTs that were the straw that broke the camels back; the fact that my liver was turning into fois gras, yuck, was pretty scary and particularly shocking when you're virtually teetotal.  This is when a sense of urgency *suddenly* hit me.

But as the doctor said to me on Friday a fatty liver, although is a problem associated overweight diabetics IS *completely* reversible with weight loss.  So deranged LFTs, well I can now cross those off too. 

It's great to know that there is a route to get better, better still don't even go there in the first place. I'm on that road now and wherever you are with your weight I am sure if you're on that road you can get better too.  Maybe a little too addictively I'm really enjoying the re-modeling and body-sculpting process, and there's no way, at my age, I'm prepared to accept compromised health any more. 

I really do look forward to seeing other tales of improved health and wellness.

***Doing the happy dance****Doing the happy dance***Doing the happy dance***

The turtle will get there

OK, lets face it my weight loss over recent weeks has been a tad slow.  However, *this* journey isn't simply a measurement of weight - it's about both the external AND the internal.

So, I'm pleased to announce my exciting news ...

I am no longer diabetic - well that's what my doctor said today.   

I won't delude myself, I know that once you have that diabetic diagnosis it can never be shaken off, no matter how well it controlled.  However, today's Hb A1c (3 month average blood sugars) has finally taken me into the normal range for a non-diabetic... thanks to the caveman diet.

All other investigations and blood pressure were also completely normal :)

I have to say, this clinic visit was a little overwhelming.  The doctor and nurse seemed a little over excited and bombarded me with questions about diet, lifestyle and management. 

I know, to the outsider it's must seem so strange - abstaining from foods we've learnt to regard as natural and normal.  But, in reality so many *normal* foods are adapted into our diet and with catastrophic effect, as I well know. 

I am still a work in progress; I still have a great deal of weight to lose, general fitness to improve and lost time to catch up.

Today though, I've come a step closer to one of my goals - being off ALL medication.  Actually, I admitted to my doctor today that I have, over the last couple of months, been misbehaving with my medication and have been more or less off it anyway!  I don't recommend this.  Coming off drugs *should* be done under a doctor's supervision.  From today though, with my doctors blessing, I'm going to start weaning on half of what I was *sometimes* taking :) 

BTW.  I'm always compliant with the BP medication.  It's just that for a while I'd noted that whether or not I took medication made absolutely no difference to my blood sugar monitoring, hence the self-prescribed wean.

On the trail of Stevia

Hands up if you've heard of Stevia - possibly not if you reside in the UK. 

I heard of Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni the first time just a few months ago.  It's a naturally growing herb, it has zero calories and doesn't affect blood sugar, therefore apparently is safe for diabetics.  I hear it does have an after taste, but is used widely as a sweeter in Japan. 

There are so many diabetics and people struggling with their weight, surely it's the answer we've all been looking for. Where do I buy it? 

Unfortunately *definitely* not in the UK.

WHY?

On my quest for this herb I dug around some more and found that, although you can purchase it in the USA, apparently it cannot be marketed in a way that would indicates sweetness.... hmmm I see. 

Then I attempted to purchase it here, only to find there was no legal way in the UK and, like a drug, it's illegal even to possess it.  The reasons given, seem to me, to be no more questionable than some of the suggested side effects of aspartame and other sweeteners.

At the end of the day personally I feel frustrated that the informed choice to buy this food product is denied.  Obesity is projected to be entirely the fault of the individual...

• But why has sugar and dubious alternatives found their way into just about every food product? 
• Why are we struggling, hopelessly, to balance sugar and weight? 
• Why do we hear daily news reports of the huge obesity crisis?
• Why is there no stevia marketing campaign?

When there is a natural alternative to satisfy our sweet lust, why is it banned, who really has our interests in mind? 

Date feasting

This week I've been feeling blue and eating paleo in its simplest form.  Fast food cavewoman = eggs nuts and fruit - in particular dates.  The thing is for most of my life I've been under the illusion that dates were, quite simply, disgusting.  Anyway I was given some last week and thought I'd give one a try.  Well, that first nibble descended into a full on date binge that's been in progress for most of the week.  This week I haven't eaten much more than mini pecan and date sarnies, and I certainly thought that this would cause my blood sugar to go through the roof.  However, surprisingly my readings have remained relatively stable.

Wednesday

• Before Breakfast 6.8
• Before evening meal 5.4
• After evening meal 8.7.

Thursday

• Before breakfast 5.8

To explain this by a UK measurement I need to be aiming for between 4 & 10, but previously even a slice of bread could cause my blood sugar level to spike over 12.  I'm quite pleased with the above as it means I can have a little sweet indulgence, but if I keep my sugar levels low weight loss should still follow.

Why I started on Man's first diet

It's been bought to my attention that new visitors may be completely bemused as to quite what's involved in the Caveman diet, so this post is just the story about why it's my diet choice.

I'm your usual dieting veteran, I've re-joined WW more times than I have fingers (& toes), Slimming world, Very Low Calorie Liquid Diet (medically monitored 400 cals a day); the Cabbage Soup Diet; The Grapefruit and Egg diet; Hay Diet; Atkins and the Greek diet.  BTW I love the Greek/Mediterranean diet (for taste and healthiness), but I didn't lose weight.  Finally, at the beginning of last year I finally went on a medically monitored weight loss diet, with the institution of this both my weight and diabetic control rocketed out of control.

Since I was gradully ticking through a list of weight related medical problems it looked like the next on the list were the biggies, it definitely was time to re-evaluate.

After all the above diet failures I instinctively didn't feel that paying out for another mainstream diet (ones that I'd already repeatedly failed before) was not going to be the answer, for me.  Then I had the most awful and patronizing doctor's appointment, one that left me in tears (I DON'T BELIEVE YOU DIET, YOU'RE GREEDY AND YOU EAT TOO MUCH - yes he did say that to me). The bottom line was, you need to lose weight otherwise you will be starting insulin, and soon .  So, if you know anything about diabetes and you're overweight that's very bad news - insulin will make you gain weight. 

I was an emotional wreck that week.  On the Friday before my grandmother (who had been suffering for a long time) fell ill and they said she wouldn't last the w/e,  Sunday was my birthday and obviously didn't want it to happen that day, Tuesday was the hospital appointment and my grandmother died that Friday.

BUT, that week was also the turning point.  An article was published, a diabetic study on the benefits of Caveman diet. It compared a group on the Caveman diet and a group on the Mediterranean diet.  At the end of the study the blood sugar of those on the Caveman diet had dropped significantly compared to those on the Mediterranean diet.  Secondary to that, the group on the Caveman diet also lost a significant amount of weight. 

When I chose to go onto this diet it as much for getting a grip on the blood sugar issues as it was about weight. 

There was also an element of distrust, I mean I've followed all the prescribed diets, trusted the packaging, counted the calories, taken every bit of advice I could, but for my efforts I simply got fatter and fatter and fatter......

*Light-bulb moment* I was simply expecting too much from my body and it obviously wasn't coping.  I believe I had a false sense of the quantities I should be eating, and additionally I wasn't in control of what I was eating; much of it was canteen, packaged or ready made, or if it had a low calorie count that was good enough for me.  So I concluded that if I took all the extras out the equation (all the man made foods) my body would have the opportunity to be able to work in the way it was designed. 

Why should I expect my body to understand and process foods that aren't natural?  It was time for me to get back into the driving seat take back control of everything I ate.

'A wise man ought to realize that health is his most valuable possession and learn how to treat his illnesses by his own judgment.  Hippocrates

Anyway that's just my little story as to how I've arrived at this lifestyle change.  It may some appear to be a faddy diet but I've read around it and started to follow it after a great deal of consideration. I've experienced a lot of physical changes not just to the diabetes, but also to my gums, my blood pressure, my gums. Heck, even my fat has changed (ie where's the cellulite gone).  It feels right and sustainable (for me) but it has entailed lifestyle changes that may not suit everyone.  It's working for me and I believe it's the healthiest choice for me.

I've gabbed on for far too long now so I'm going to have to save exactly what the diet entails to a future entry, for anyone who's interest a past entry regarding the rules is posted here.

October's progress

Yesterday I attended my 4 month review hospital appointment, well timed to record my progress for October. I have to say all is now forgiven since the first consultation. The reaction from my consultant also served to remind me of the achievement and progress I've made overall.

• At my initial new patient appointment I was 102 kg (224 lb). 
• Yesterday I was 93 kg (205 lb)
• Total loss = 9 kg (19 lb)

There are a couple of points I'd like to add in relation to my diabetes and general health.

1. The doctor said my Hb A1c was 'marvelous' at 6.3  The normal range for a non-diabetic is 4 - 6.  Going into some of my domiciliary blood readings I have now started recording readings of 4 which raises the possibility of hypos.  Therefore he said that we may soon think about reducing my medication!!!  You may recall that at my first appointment I was being threatened with the introduction of insulin to my regime.
2. One particularly strange thing is that since I've been on the Caveman diet I have started feeling particularly low and weepy at times, which is out of character for me and contrary to the how I'd expect to be feeling with the wieght loss.  I'd even starting to wonder if the diet wasn't quite right or I was developing some type of depressive illness.  However, I'd also been musing about something else.  When I discussed the problem with the consultant he suggested exactly what I had been thinking - that the mood swings could indeed be cyclical.  My diabetes is related to having PCOS and, although these days I have a normal cycle, I haven't for a long time had all the usual pre-menstrual symptoms and probably wasn't ovulating normally.  The doctor confirmed what I was thinking, that these mood swings would be a sign that my hormones could be kicking back into action and a sign that I am once again ovulating normally.

Finally he said that although he could discharge me back to the care of my GP he doesn't yet wish to and would like to review my progress again in 6 months!  Could it be that he's curious about the effect of a diet that excludes modern day foods?

Learn to read your body's telling you

I use my forehead as a health forecasting tool.  That sounds absolutely nutty doesn't it, but this is precisely how I knew that I was thriving on the Caveman diet. 

Basically, anytime that I've been under the weather and indeed prior to my diabetic diagnosis the skin across my forehead would flare up.  Embarrassingly, it used to become red and inflamed; my skin peels and sometimes gets a little scabby. It looks a terrible sight, plus it's itchy and sore too! This is my outward sign that there's too much sugar in my system.  It was continually like this and whatever diet I was following the irritation would persist.   

Anyway within the first two weeks of starting the Caveman diet my skin literally cleared up and the inflammation disappeared.  The problem has since flared up only once on the Caveman diet; this is when I decided to make a Ratatouille and slipped on the natural products, using tinned tomatoes.  The following morning I woke up and my skin was raging - you could have warmed your hands on it.  Initially I thought that the Caveman diet had actually uncovered an allergy to tomatoes (not having eaten them for a while), but once a read the the ingredients on tinned tomatoes the reason for the irritation became clear - sugar.

You just can't escape it, even when you're trying to eat healthily.  Tinned tomatoes always did seem a pretty innocent product to me, and as such I didn't review the packaging.  This really brings home to me the point that if you really want to control what you're eating it's really far safer just to make everything from scratch.  Thankfully I have my forehead as my own sugar alarm system.

the left hand doesn't know what the right hands doing

Here sits typing one confused UK based diabetic.  This is because the diabetic advice I've been given since diagnosis simply hasn't been consistent. 

When I was initially diagnosed with diabetes type II I was told that I could eat cakes/deserts as long as they were consumed following a meal.  Indeed 'Diabetes UK' website has a paragraph that states 'sweets and chocolate are no more out of bounds to people with diabetes than they are for the rest of us, if eaten as part of a healthy diet'.  So this yes, as per this information and the only advice I'd had since my diagnosis I continued to eat sugar, and until this last year my diabetes had been extremely well diet controlled despite this.

Earlier this year (pre-caveman diet) I saw the practice nurse and presented her with my food diary she'd requested, and where I'd diligently noted the teaspoon of sugar I'd taken on my shredded wheat.  She was horrified and exclaimed 'you can't eat sugar at all, you're a diabetic'! 

Then the next time I attended she'd splashed EATING SUGAR! in caps across my record.  I was and am completely miffed about this as this appears as if I was neglecting to follow advice, but the only advice I've ever been given (and also retreived from the website of a British Organisation supporting diabetes) was that that diabetics could eat sugar.  The site even goes on to provide plenty of recipes for deserts containing sugar; one of these recipe served 8 and had 8 tablespoons of sugar in it! 

Is it any wonder I've been confused?  Well, anyway I'm finally engaging with the diabetes which and along with this acceptance have researched and have finally started to better understand my condition.  I now wonder why there's any advice that says sugars OK.  So although on the caveman diet honey and maple sugar is acceptable it will rarely feature in my diet.